Alight
by anti-viper
Summary: Surrounded by darkness, Jenna keeps her sanity as well as she can. Desperate to see her husband and son again, she and Ivan must do whatever it takes to survive and protect their loved ones, as unbeknownst to them their children race to end the Eclipse.
1. The Reign of Shadow

_Aren't I a smart one? LoV is a day late… so I start a new multichap (wrote it all today, too)! Warning; updates for this will be extremely sporadic. I just despise leaving something that's done un-posted. It's like throwing out half a soda, or watching half a sports game. I can't do it._

_So, this is… interesting. Notice the M-rating; first multi-chap I've made that will be M. Won't be the last, as I have three in mind that will fit into that category. The M-rating doesn't really apply to this chapter, but you'll know it when you see it._

_This fic is actually a prologue of sorts to my eventual post-DD continuation fic; I say of sorts because while it definitely does take place before the end of DD, I hesitate to call it a true prologue, as so many characters are not accounted for and such. Oh well._

_At its core, this is a Jenna/Isaac love story, taking place during and just after the Eclipse. There are some very interesting moments though, and I'm having fun writing this._

_Oh, and the best thing about this fic? I almost named it Sol-Mates. I love how freaking corny and stupid I am._

_One last thing, don't expect the continuation fic soon either; it's on the back burner. Well, here we go!_

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**Chapter 1: The Reign of Shadow**

The rapier sliced through the air so quickly, that even if the sun had been out, its rays may have been too slow to catch it in their grasp. Of course, the sun hadn't been out in what felt like forever, but one problem at a time.

Jenna quickly turned away from the shadowy beast she had struck down, and swung again; sure enough, one had crawled behind her, and had been a foot away from sinking its pincers into her back.

Its halves collapsed onto the ground, a shrill and un-natural cry emitting from its mouth (or at least that's what she called the little veiled carvings on their putrid heads). Normally they would go on crying for a while, unless you killed them right. Thankfully, Jenna happened to be VERY good at killing things from years of experience.

Out of all the things she despised most about these shadowy monstrosities, their slinking nature was at the top of the list. They were creatures of darkness, and seemed to always be behind backs, always lurk in the corners of eyes, and always exist just beyond reach. If ever there was a fitting metaphor for her life, they were it.

"You don't like the light? THEN BURN!" She screamed, throwing her sword into the air and glowing briefly before sending Searing Beams into all directions. For five seconds, the entire world was alight with the orange flares of her attack, and the singeing screams of the Eclipse-spawn.

Jenna glanced around her, a tinge of disappointment in her face; they had all fallen, and all that remained was the flames quietly dying on their unholy bodies. The fire would grow dark as it faded, unable to gain the sustenance required to feed itself from anything touched by the Eclipse.

"Jenna!' Came a cry from her right, drawing her eyes away from the decaying corpses to a short blonde man moving towards her. "What have I told you about fighting these things? There's no point to it!" Ivan shouted, carefully wading through the darkness, peering down alleyways and such as he made his way toward her.

"I'm looking for survivors," Jenna semi-lied flatly, blindly firing a beam into the darkness behind her. Sure enough, it split a dark beast's skull in two, and sent the monster crumpling to its limbs. She was searching for Caron… but she couldn't deny that part of her wandering into the shadow was to relieve tension. Who could blame her? She had enough tension in her that it would snap anyone else. But not her; she was used to the world being cruel to her. She had come to expect it.

Ivan gulped as he watched her effortlessly dispatch the creature; Jenna sure hadn't lost a beat when it came to combat. In fact, she seemed to have gotten better. MUCH better. Perhaps he should have taken her lead and spent more time training.

"Jenna… even if you weren't lying," Ivan began, panting; he was nowhere near in as good shape as her. "That pursuit's foolish… anyone, as sad as it is, who hasn't been taken to the shelter we've made in the north of town has to be, by now…"

"Oh, I'm sure Garet will be pleased when I tell him that you gave up on his wife that easily," Jenna seethed, summoning a small light in her hand to ward off the creatures around them. Ivan quickly leapt into its radius, becoming much more at ease when he reached it. "And as for being foolish, why don't you have a lantern?" She asked, and he sighed.

"I-I don't want to give up on Caron, but the chances that she's alive…" He grew silent, and Jenna immediately felt overwhelming guilt for baiting him like that. Even if the nosy fool had deserved it for constantly chasing her when she left to let out steam. "Never mind that," Ivan said, regaining his composure. "I didn't bring a lantern because I didn't think it was worth the wasted fuel, and that I could defend myself if need be."

"Are you sure?" Jenna quipped, trying to lighten the mood, and pinching Ivan's rolls. "You'd claim that fighting these monsters is dangerous and asking for injury, and yet you could probably truly use the exercise."

Ivan blushed, and coughed under his breath. "…It's not my fault I married a baker," He replied weakly, and Jenna, despite the situation, chuckled. "But… that's not the point," He continued, clearing his throat. "I know you're worried about Isaac and Matthew, not to mention Garet and the others… but taking it out on these things isn't going to help matter. I mean, look OUT!"

Before he had even seen the danger and screamed, Jenna's arm had shot out to her left, and grasped the dark skeleton by its decaying throat. "I wish you could speak, so I could hear you beg," She growled, before squeezing, and snapping the creature's neck clean.

Ivan gulped; he didn't know what was more terrifying, the actual attack that had occurred, or the cold anger Jenna has displayed in ending the monster's life. "…I mean, look at the bright side, at least the kids weren't with them at the plateau, and—"

"Oh, thanks for reassuring me!" Jenna interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's so great that, instead of being with two of the most powerful warriors this world has ever known, our kids are wandering around Weyard, possibly inside the Eclipse, by themselves!"

"They'll be fine… they no doubt have grown strong during their journey, and if our exploits are any indication, they probably have picked up some allies along the way," Ivan said soothingly, moving closer to Jenna and lightly massaging her shoulder. "Jenna, I know you're worried as hell; so am I. Karis is my pride and joy, Isaac and Garet are my two closest friends, and Matthew and Tyrell mean so much to me that they're basically family as well."

He paused, biting his lip as he tried to pick the right phrasing. Up until now, she had remained silent, and seemed to be listening and contemplating his words, which was all he could hope for. "But," He continued, staring at her face, "Standing out here alone and throwing fireballs at these monstrosities is only asking for something to go wrong. Imagine if Isaac and Matthew came home to find you dead, for that reason."

"They all deserve to burn, especially if they hurt my husband and my son," Jenna whispered, her voice shaking, and tears beginning to well in her eyes. She felt like a dam creased with cracks and holes, moments from bursting open. She kept trying to hold it in, or let it out in violence, but neither were working.

"You know that they never stop coming," Ivan whispered; sure enough, just outside of the light, a circle of red eyes and black masses paraded, light growls and rumblings of hunger their chorus. "We need to do whatever we can to survive, and help and protect everyone in Kalay who is still with us. I know, with Caron, it's hard, but…"

"…I heard that she was last seen around here," Jenna whispered, the tears now falling plainly down her face. "I wanted to check it out, but… fine, I just wanted to kill them, alright? I wanted to set them on FIRE! They're monsters, they DESERVE it! I knew this would happen, didn't I tell Isaac? I TOLD him if he left, that something like this would happen! People always leave me, and either never come back, or come back so broken and so…" Jenna burst into tears and sobs, collapsing into Ivan's shoulder.

The force nearly knocked him over, but he did his best to stay upright, and patted her on the back. Ivan actually agreed with Jenna in that regard; he knew Isaac was worried about the dangers of her living so near Mt Aleph, but he honestly didn't know if Jenna would even want to live without Isaac… not after Felix disappeared so long ago.

Part of the reason she also resided in Kalay was in order to protect it, but Isaac had made it clear to him once in a conversation that he simply didn't want to risk losing Jenna again for anything in the world. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on the sun being swallowed by darkness that spewed out monsters.

"There there…" He said calmly, stroking her long auburn hair. "It's going to be okay. They're all fine; I'm sure of it. If they weren't, I probably would have had a vision about it." He neglected to mention that he had received absolutely no visions even hinting toward the Grave Eclipse; a fact which worried him greatly. "And we'll be right here when they come back."

"What about Caron?" Jenna whispered, squeezing him tightly. Ivan felt his ribs bend a little further than he preferred, but he remained silent, knowing how much she needed his care.

Ivan gulped, and replied "…Well, we'll just have to—"

"Help…" Came a feeble voice from behind them, and they both whipped their heads in the direction. It had been most definitely human, as indicated by the monsters that had surrounded them immediately turning toward the source of the sound as well. Before they could move even an inch towards the direction of the noise, Jenna was upon them.

Ivan, who had begun to wonder whether or not Jenna really was in any real danger while wandering alone simply because of how powerful she seemed, immediately realized that the feeble monsters of the Eclipse probably couldn't so much as scratch her.

In less than a second, there wasn't a single one of them left standing. Her speed had been incendiary, and even he with his fantastic eyesight hadn't been completely able to keep up with her movements. He made a small note in the back of his mind to not make Jenna angry. Ever.

"…Do you think it could be?" Ivan asked, but Jenna gave no reply, but a finger over her mouth. The Mars Adept closed her eyes, and listened intently; she heard a faint noise from a nearby house a moment later, and dashed inside, even as more monsters began to creep forth. Ivan gulped, and pulled out his own short-sword; he had hoped to avoid fighting himself, but if it was necessary, he would make do.

After less than ten seconds of repelling numerous monsters with his sword and copious amounts of Psynergy, which thankfully was much less rusty than his physical combat, Jenna ran out from the house, carrying a frail body in her arms.

Ivan took one look at the person and gasped; it was indeed Caron, but she was in such terrible shape… her skin was pale and wreaked of death, and her entire body looked to be nothing more than bone.

"She… she looks…"

"No time for talking, run!" Jenna shouted, dashing past him towards the north half of Kalay, where the palace stood and where encampment had been set. "Keep them off of us, would you?" She asked, as her hands began to glow red. Ivan nodded as numerous Auras started to flow into the decrepit woman, who seemed on the very bridge between life and death.

"She looks so ill…" Ivan muttered as he sent Plasma after Plasma; their numerous use of Psynergy had attracted some truly terrifying and large creatures, with so many eyes or mouths they looked like something out of a nightmare. Jenna would occasionally assist him in repelling them, but for the most part focused on healing Caron.

"We don't look much better, buddy," Jenna replied bitingly, and Ivan had to agree with her. Jenna, while still fair, looked worn and ragged; the glow she naturally exerted in combat was freely visible, but even it couldn't mask the obvious effect the constant shadows had instilled. Her eyes were dark, and her hair was fading… and he hardly doubted he looked much better. He just hadn't wasted time finding a mirror to check.

"True point… what do you think—"

"Ivan, I love you, and I know that you really enjoy conversing, but please, shut the fuck up and cover us! We'll talk later!" Jenna shouted, slinging a fireball behind her and straight into a flying skull with a red aura that had been about to take a bite out of Ivan.

The Jupiter Adept swallowed, and complied, focusing all his efforts on protecting them from both land and air-born threats. Within a minute, the familiar glow of the encampment became visible; they were nearly there. Ivan felt his breath fading, but he ignored the feelings and pushed onward… until, suddenly, from behind him he heard a roar.

It was a roar unlike any he had ever heard before. A roar that sent chills through every part of his body. It sounded like the end of the world, and as he turned to discern its maker, he felt his heart stop. The end of the world was a very good description for what was now chasing them, and gaining quickly.

He had seen some downright disturbing monsters spawned by the Eclipse, but this was in a category of its own. It was long and lanky, with at least eight crooked, twisted arms that coiled and shot this way and that; in some ways, they were more like tentacles or tendirls. Its feet were giant lumbering husks that looked like miniature canoes, and its chest was gnarled and broken, like the roots of a tree wrapped together.

Finally, its head hung as its most gruesome feature; two cords sprung from the top of its torso, each holding a different part of its face. The lower was its mouth, sickles of thin white teeth that resembled stilettos, while the upper was a pulsing red globe, that Ivan realized, with the feeling of vomit rising in his stomach, was an eye.

"Take her, you can't face that thing!" Jenna shouted, flinging Caron into Ivan's arms, and turning toward the monstrosity. Ivan wanted to turn around and help her, but after stumbling briefly while trying to secure Caron, it dawned on him that he needed to trust her. If anyone could stop it, it was—

"AHHHH!" Ivan stopped dead in his tracks to turn and see Jenna hunched over, and a large amount of blood covering the ground underneath her. The twisted being seemed to smile, its black jaw widening, as crimson blood dripped from the tendril that had whipped the Mars Adept. Its smile didn't last long.

Ivan couldn't even hear the name of what spell Jenna shouted, but he didn't need to in order to know that she wasn't very pleased to have gotten injured, and that as a result it was probably damn powerful. Understatement of the century. A God-searing flash shot in every direction, and Ivan could only squint through it enough to make out a gigantic ball of fire emerging from Jenna.

For a good five seconds, he was nearly completely blind. All that appeared before him was blinding yellows and whites. He did not panic, and began to blink and drink a sip of a potion strapped to his side.

After many blinks, his eyesight returned slightly, and he gasped at the sight before him; where the monster had been, there was a gigantic crater, and a withering pile of dark ooze, which he assumed was its remains. At least three buildings have been demolished, and that was a conservative estimate judging by how many more looked on the brink of collapse. He couldn't believe Jenna had that kind of power.

Jenna stood, shaking slightly, but standing none the less. She stared at the destruction in her wake for but a moment, before swinging herself around and moving decidedly forward, nearly falling more than once. While Ivan initially feared she would be ambushed by more creatures, it seemed as if the light from her attack had driven them all back, if not destroyed them. So strong had the light been that even now, a slight glitter held in the air, rather than the usual purple mist.

Ivan, thinking quickly, sprinted back to the camp, Caron in his arms. He was bombarded by questions for a moment before the villagers noticed Caron, at which point great amounts of cheering erupted. Ivan ignored both, making sure one of the town's healers was going to heal Caron before running as fast as he could back outside, coming to Jenna within five seconds.

To his surprise, she was turned away from the camp. Before he could ask why, she pointed toward the crater, and said, "Look." He followed her directions, and grimaced; whatever had been attacking them was now beginning to reform, and quickly, by the looks of it.

Ivan didn't want to give that thing another chance to destroy them. He began to say, "…We should kill it now, before—"

"No," Jenna interrupted coldly, her eyes harder than he had ever seen them. "It's weak, and it can't hurt us now. I have other reasons as well… we'll discuss it in the camp." Without another word, she began to limp the other way, casting small Auras as she did so. He frowned as he realized her leg had been hit too.

"Here, I've got you," Ivan whispered, lifting her arm over his back on her weak side.

For the first time in the day, Jenna truly smiled. "Thanks, Ivan… I know I've been a bit of a bitch today, but I couldn't have gotten her back safely without you. Thanks for being concerned and looking out for me."

"No problem; that what friends are for," Ivan replied, his heart leaping a little in his chest; he had always favored the Mars Adept, and despite him being the one who could read minds, he always had a feeling that she knew this. "I probably would have been more use to you if I had been in shape… I'll get on that."

"Sounds good; you can get on my regiment," Jenna replied with a nod as they neared the entrance. Ivan gulped, and swallowed; training regiment? He had heard horror stories about the things Jenna did to stay in shape… he had no idea where she found the time. Let alone the energy. He was busy enough with his writing, mechanics, and studies of Alchemy to get any real training time in, while she seemed to get twice as much done in the least.

Jenna was well loved around the city for her constant giving of help to anyone who needed it, and while of course Lady Layana and her advisor, Austin, ran the town, many viewed both Ivan and Jenna as town leaders as well.

They finally reached the city's encampment, and Ivan ushered Jenna in gingerly. Even so, he doubted she needed it; after her Auras, her leg and arm were about as good as new. How she had Psynergy in her left after that attack, he knew not.

"I'm fine Ivan… thanks," She said kindly, removing her arm from his back, and walking fairly steadily on her own. "Where is Caron?" Jenna asked one of the captains, Korcher.

"In Medical Tent number three, mam," He said steadfastly, and Jenna nodded.

"Thank you," She replied, bowing slightly before moving in that direction. Ivan bowed as well, but turned before he followed her, sending one last gaze out into the darkness outside the camp.

Squinting hard, he could just make out a lumbering black mass moving down the street. His heart sank and the hairs stood on the back of his neck; whatever that thing was, it was dangerous. Possibly more dangerous than any enemy he had ever faced. And as he turned to catch up to Jenna, the creeping feeling that they hadn't seen the last of that monstrosity gripped him and shook him to his very core.

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_…Would you believe this started out as me wanting to write a Jenna/Isaac lemon? Really sexy chapter, right! Yeah… I don't even know how I got derailed that much. I'm happy with the result, though (sexytimes do come later)._

_Before I get into this chapter, that's actually an issue I have with a lot of fics with sexual content; they all seem to be oneshots. Granted, not many fics have sexual content, but still; I find it odd. There aren't many where there's a legitimate build up between characters that leads to then sharing a loving moment with each other. I don't know, I just find it weird._

_This chapter was supposed to tease a lot; the monster, Jenna's psyche, what's happening with Isaac. I also find it really interesting to discuss what actually happened in the middle of the Eclipse in places like this; eventually I might have a series detailing what went on in different places. It would be fun to write._

_Ivan was always a bit more timid than Jenna, and that's reflected here. I had to do a balancing job of getting her angst and despair across without it seeming over-the-top. I really am glad I got to showcase her battle talents though; I loved fighting with her in Lost Age. So deadly and versatile. In my opinion, if Jenna was left alone and didn't travel to the Goma Plateau, she would definitely spend a lot of time training._

_I also just get interested in what she spends her time doing (she is one of my favorite characters, after all) post Lost Age. So, that gets explored a little I guess. The next chapter will be a continuation of this, but I have no idea when it will be posted. It might be a while. Thank you for reading!_

_Edit: Went back and did some light editing (nothing more embarrassing than spelling the word your fic is named after wrong inside the fic) to coincide with the second chapter's posting.  
_


	2. Flickers of Life

_I feel obligated to apologize for the long delay in between chapters, yet I know in the first chapter I assured everyone I had no idea when I would updated. And seeing since I at one point thought this might get written sometime in July or August, I'm actually pretty damn happy it's out in early June._

_Other notes, I switched the rating to T because I don't think anything in here is bad enough to warrant the M… yet. I'm also unsure whether violence will push it back to M before other things do, so that will be a weird situation going forward. Anyway, here's the chapter._

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**Chapter 2: Flickers of Life**

Jenna and Ivan moved quickly through the camp, both determined to reach Caron and do whatever it would take to heal her… despite the fact that only one of them actually had any healing Psynergy as it was. Of course, that happened to be Jenna, who had just obliterated what looked to be one of the strongest monsters Ivan had ever seen, so he felt fairly confident in her healing abilities.

Just to make sure, Ivan asked as they were walking, "Hey, Jen, you should be able to heal Caron if she needs it, right?" He tried to sound confident, but Jenna's face was decidedly uncertain when she turned to him.

"I just blew nearly all of my Psynergy keeping that…" Jenna's face winced in pain, and Ivan raised an eyebrow. "That thing from getting to the encampment, and let's be honest, my healing has never been anywhere near anything Mia could produce."

Ivan smirked as Jenna added extra emphasis on Mia's name, as there was a time when the Mars Adept disliked the Mercury Adept, even though they had eventually become close friends. Piers had told the party many times (much to Jenna's chagrin) how she had worried over Isaac and Mia potentially becoming a thing when the two parties had been apart. Then, many years later, Isaac spending so much time at Goma Plateau had only reignited Jenna's worries about Isaac being with another woman.

Of course, despite her fears, Jenna trusted Isaac, and Ivan did too. While he was often gone due to his duties involving the aftermath of the return of Alchemy, nothing was clearer in all of Weyard that Isaac loved Jenna. The sun set, everyone eventually died, and Isaac loved Jenna. It was that simple, and the only reason why the poor woman had been willing to put up with so many hardships during their marriage. Well, that and she was tough as nails.

Ivan had done his best to provide support through the years, but recent things had come up. Like, say, a giant shroud of monster-producing darkness. Never a dull moment when you're a Warrior of Vale.

"But I'll do my best, anything for Caron," Jenna continued, shifting her gaze forward and removing his view of her face. Her voice sunk as she muttered the last part, "Gods know I know what it's like to lose family."

"We'll make sure she's fine, don't worry," Ivan said reassuringly, rubbing Jenna's shoulder, ignoring the irony of now having to comfort the person he had wished to receive comfort from.

As they neared the medical section of the camp, the two Adepts received many waves and shouts of greeting, which they each tried to reply to. While the Warriors of Vale had always been well-loved in Kalay, the onset of the Eclipse had brought those feelings to new levels, often making Ivan and Jenna somewhat embarrassed. Still, if it hadn't been for Jenna's mastery of fire and constant devotion to keeping the barrier lit, they would had all perished weeks ago.

The Eclipse had began three months prior, and had struck quickly. The danger had been unrecognizable to all but Ivan and Jenna, who had instantly sensed something wrong in the air the moment the unnatural shadow had fallen. The first night had been… rough. They had lost at least a third of the town, as the monsters of the Eclipse were endless and regrettably Ivan and Jenna could only do so much on their own.

Of course, the city had other Adepts, but none had anywhere near the level of mastery of Psynergy that Ivan and Jenna did. After realizing their enemies were not finite, the Kalay Guard and Adepts had retreated to the north as well, and Jenna, having realized their weakness to light, had ordered all Mars Adepts to erect a burning barrier, and everyone else to find material for the barrier. Since then, they had been relatively safe, but still not without incident.

While Austin had ordered that no one should try to leave the camp, that hadn't stopped a few from trying… Caron, being a Mars Adept (albeit much calmer than her husband), had braved the Eclipse even after being warned in hopes of helping others who may have survived and to gather supplies. She had left a week ago, and had been presumed dead by mostly everyone in camp, except for Jenna and Ivan who, knowing her fiery spirit, had prayed she may still be alive.

As harsh as the casualties had been, and as grisly as some of the remains were, they all paled in comparison to an even scarier truth: they were running out of things to burn. Since the Eclipse's beginning three months ago, the camp had shrunken to half its original size, and space was becoming increasingly cramped. And that wasn't even talking about food, which was becoming more and more scarce. If the Eclipse didn't end soon…

Those thoughts were doused as they reached medical-tent number three. Jenna halted for several moments, and Ivan's eyes widened as he realized her legs were shaking. "Sorry," She said distantly, reaching out her hand to grasp one of the tent's beams in support. No more than five moments passed before she straightened herself, and spoke with her normal conviction. "Let's go."

Ivan made a note to ask her of the incident later, and followed her into the tent. There, a doctor and Adept were both looking over Caron. The city had elected to have both a non-Adept and a Adept healer in every tent, as some Adepts with healing capabilities, despite being infinitely more proficient in their ability, had limited medical knowledge, having relied on intuition for their lives.

Both recognized Jenna and Ivan immediately, bowing lightly. "No need to bow," Ivan whispered, embarrassed, but Jenna paid no mind, moving quickly to Caron's side.

"How is she?" Jenna asked worriedly, placing her hands on Caron's head, and then slowly glancing over her. While Ivan had only seen small glimpses of Caron since they had found her, he guessed that she looked a bit better than when they had brought her back.

"Bad," The Adept (it was quite obvious because of his blue hair) replied. Ivan recognized him as Lail, one of the few Lemurians who had left the ancient isle after it had been reopened to the outside world. "I've tried my best, but… she's so weak, I doubt she's eaten much in her absence, and she has numerous wounds. I've done my best, and she is alive, but she needs serious attention, and even with that her survival isn't guaranteed."

Jenna nodded, somewhat in a trance as he spoke. "I'll take it from here," Jenna whispered, her hands beginning to glow. For a brief moment, her light faded and she nearly collapsed, but then she came back to her senses and continued on with the healing. Ivan had seen enough, and pulled her away.

"I need to heal her," Jenna barked, and Ivan grimaced.

"I know, so take this," He replied, holding out a Psynergy Crystal. Jenna knew it was his last one, he having told her this last week, and at first she eyed it with defiance, but then sighed and nodded.

"Thanks, Ivan. You really are the best," She replied weakly, ruffling his hair (a habit he could never shake the other Warriors of Vale out of) before grasping the crystal in her hand. A bright flash of purple light later, and Jenna was back at Caron's side, meticulously pouring Auras into the unconscious woman.

Ivan sank back into a corner, taking a seat in a small wooden chair. As usual in his free time, he pulled out some sketches of ideas and inventions he would later tinker with in his shop; in this case, the item in question was a small pendant. Ivan had long lamented the inconvenience of Psynergy Stones and how they shattered, and was attempting to create something similar to the larger Psynergy Stones that didn't break, but in a much more compact form.

As he scribbled away, Jenna labored to heal Caron, Ivan sending glances up to her every once in awhile. It was slow work, and nothing Jenna wanted to rush. Caron had many wounds from the dark beasts, and while they didn't affect Adepts nearly to the degree they did normal people, her wounds were still dire.

Jenna tried to quell her thoughts as she worked, but it was hard. Feelings of guilt, of failure, of helplessness all piled up until she thought they might burst from her, but each time she would take a deep breath and continue onward.

Finally, after an hour of constant work, Jenna collapsed onto Caron's stomach, lightly sobbing. Ivan immediately feared the worst, but Jenna smiled as she raised her head, and said, "She's going to be okay. They just need to feed and monitor her, none of the wounds were lethal and, despite her condition, she's hanging in there."

Ivan smiled and patted Jenna on the back. "Great work, Garet owes you one," He said cheerily, and Jenna sent a thankful look toward Caron before her smile widened.

"Please, he owes me a lot more than one," She scoffed, moving toward the tent's exit, before realizing her mistake and turning and thanking Lail and the other man before leaving, Ivan doing the same.

Jenna made her way to an area with a small log built as a makeshift bench and quickly threw a few twigs in front of it and started a fire. Ivan joined her, taking out his pipe as he sat down, only to have it slapped out of his hands.

"You want to get in shape? Stop smoking," Jenna said bluntly as Ivan gazed at his pipe longingly, before shrugging. "I don't care if we are supposed to live for quite some time. Filling your lungs with that crap will do you in quickly enough."

"I guess you're right, need to be there for Karis and Beth," Ivan replied, wincing as the concept of outliving his child and wife hit him. It was something that kept him up late at night, and while it would be hard with Beth, it would be even harder with Karis; yet for all he knew she could have inherited his long-lasting life. He prayed she had. Speaking of things that scared him…

"What was that thing, anyway?" Ivan asked Jenna, shaking as he recalled it. "And why didn't you finish it?"

"Damn powerful is what it was," Jenna whispered bitterly, rubbing her leg. "It seemed to be a monster of the Eclipse, but it was different. Mostly because it was human."

"…You think that thing is, or used to be, human?" Ivan asked in disbelief, biting his lip and Jenna's eyes grew moist.

"I pray it is human, Ivan," Jenna whispered, sighing as she rubbed her arm. "Because while we were fighting it, something reached out and touched my mind. Someone. And as crazy as it sounds, I knew that feeling. That thing was Sheba."

Silence came as Ivan's mouth fell agape. That wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. "Are… are you sure?" He asked, trusting Jenna but not really understanding how their friend who they hadn't heard from in twenty-plus years had morphed into… THAT.

"I'm just as confused as you are," Jenna whispered, sending another blast of flame into the already healthy fire, causing the flickering tongues to plume. "But when it showed up, I felt a presence enter my head, and that presence was Sheba. Gods, she was so scared, Ivan…" Jenna turned to the Jupiter Adept, shaking her head.

Her face was so morose, and due to his natural abilities as a mind-reader, her sadness began to resonate in his own heart. To see someone you had thought lost to you, who had been your close friend, to see them transformed into such a wretched thing.

"I don't know if she had any idea what she was doing," Jenna whispered. "All I know is that, somewhere in there, was Sheba." She paused her body tensing.

"DAMMIT!" Jenna shot up and sent another blast into the fire in front of them, only this time it was more like a raging inferno. The fire shot up into the night sky, Ivan deftly realizing it was a Dragon Fume, and coiled and spun before exploding, leaving nothing but faint ashes in the air.

"Fuck this, FUCK this," Jenna raved, unsheathing her sword and moving toward the camp's barrier. Ivan, who had at first been reluctant to interrupt her rage, now swallowed and stood.

"JENNA! Stop!" He shouted, and she turned to face him. Before she could shout, or scream, or set off another fire, Ivan moved forward and embraced her.

"This is bad, I know," Ivan spoke softly, wincing as Jenna's burning body lightly singed him. "We're stuck, we don't know what we're dealing with, our loved ones are in danger, I get that." He pulled back, looking her in the eyes as both of his hands grasped her shoulders. "But we aren't going to fix any of that if we lose our cool, and going out to risk yourself, as I've already said, is asking for something terrible to occur. Please. Don't listen to me for my sake, but for Matthew's and Isaac's."

Jenna's eyes, lit orange in her anger, flickered for a moment before they reverted to their normal chocolate brown. "I can't stand feeling so hopeless, Ivan," She whispered, falling back down to the log in a motion that lacked any of the ferocity she had displayed moments prior. "It's gnawing at me. You're a calm person, but I'm not, and when I get pushed into a corner… it's not good."

"The boulder," Ivan said solemnly, and she nodded sourly.

"That damned boulder. Just having to sit there and watch, and my whole life, poof!" Jenna whispered, snapping her fingers, sending a stray spark into the darkness.

"You got your parents back, and we saved the world," Ivan replied, hoping she would buy it. Jenna didn't.

"My parents lasted another fifteen years, and they were never the same. I had the rest of my childhood, the moments I needed my mother, stolen from me," Jenna lamented. "And Felix, he just… Mars, he was so broken, Ivan. I don't care if those bastards had been trying to save the world, they were such monsters to him. And Isaac…"

She leaned back, and shook her head with a bittersweet smile. "The boy I loved had to become a warrior to save me, didn't he?" She asked rhetorically. "And while shades of who I loved still were there when I saw him again… he had become bitter with the world, and had in his caring imposed some ridiculous notion of duty." Ivan swallowed, trying to put together a retort to stop her train of negative thoughts, but was unable to do so before she spoke again.

"And the world? Did we save it?" Jenna asked, pointing to the sky. "What if we caused this? We caused the Mourning Moons, we ripped the world apart. Ever been to Kolima since the Golden Sun rose? Oh, nope, TELEPORTED A FEW HUNDRED MILES." She shook her head in disbelief, and turned to Ivan, and for a brief moment he felt incredibly guilt for having no answer to her question and fears.

Trying to mirror what Isaac would do in the situation, the Jupiter Adept leaned forward, and to the surprise of both of them, wiped the tears from her eyes with his hand. Ivan mentally swore as he leaned back, the motion being much more romantic that he had intended it to be. Jenna didn't seem to mind though, sniffling lightly as her fingers gently touched her face.

"You're a real sweety, Ivan," Jenna whispered. "Beth's lucky. Sometimes I wonder… I love Isaac, but damn the man for leaving me all alone. I need someone to, if not hold me, at least hold my hand."

Uh, uh, uh, Ivan needed to resolve this and quickly. This could turn out really, really messy; he loved his wife, and despite lingering feelings for Jenna, this was NOT something he wanted to happen. Especially since he didn't know if he would be willing to stop her once things got too heated.

"Oh, Mars… Ivan, we're not going to start anything, please…" Jenna said with a roll of her eyes, punching him in the shoulder. "As lonely as I feel, my fidelity is something I will never break, and I know the same goes for you. What would we tell our kids? Hell, on that note, if they're alive they're probably confessed to each other by now."

Ivan slapped his forehead as awkward inclinations he had long possessed regarding Karis and Matthew came raging into his mind. He had… already braced himself for that possibility. He knew Karis was on board, that was for sure.

"Good," He forced out, ignoring the comment about their children. "I was getting a little worried there. Trying times, you know; leads people to do things they would regret."

"I think I have enough regrets," Jenna whispered, kicking her feet aimlessly. "Thanks for being there, though. You're a true friend, through and through. I mean… having to listen to me whine and cry so much…" She blushed as she brushed her hair out of her face. "It's really pretty pathetic."

"Oh, it's no bother," Ivan replied nervously. "I'm sure you'll find someway to make it up to me."

"I was thinking about that. You want to start training with me tomorrow?" Jenna asked, and Ivan gulped. "Oh, for the love of… you're not THAT out of shape. Buck up." She gave him another punch, and Ivan sighed. The Eclipse, at this point, may very well be the least of his worries.

"You're right, I need to," He conceded. "At least I've been eating fewer sweets recently. Making cakes becomes less important when you get stuck in a quarantine zone." Jenna giggled, but it held some melancholy to it. Ivan could tell that something was still bothering her. "So… about Sheba," He began, and Jenna sighed.

"I figured you weren't going to drop it so easily," She said, frowning. "I really don't know, Ivan. I mean, I can't help but imagine it's related to this Eclipse, and… let's think about it logically."

Ivan nodded; logic was something he was very good at. "So," He said, rubbing his chin as he spoke. "We haven't seen Sheba for over twenty years, and all of a sudden she appears, but transformed into a twisted monster. And this happens to be during a bizarre phenomenon that involves an eclipse which causes darkness that somehow imbues and corrupts monsters and possibly animals and corpses. Odd, wouldn't you say?"

"You think someone or some group is causing this too, then?" Jenna asked, and Ivan nodded.

"Or caused it unintentionally," He continued, biting his lip. "But where on Weyard does Sheba fit in? Maybe… there's more to her disappearance than we thought. At any rate, I guess all we can do is ask questions until this Eclipse ends, or until we find a way to escape." Jenna looked sad enough at his words that he didn't have the heart to continue on… yet he could sense the thoughts that hung in her mind. _What if it doesn't end? What if we can't escape?_

"Aren't we great friends," Jenna said, shaking her head. "We could have looked for her. Could have tried. Could have… something. But no, we just assumed she had gone off on her own. Why would we think the worst of her like that?"

"Jenna… it's not our fault," Ivan replied, though he questioned the validity of that statement. "We can't choose how others live their lives. You were always kind to Sheba, treating her like a sister, and… what's befallen her isn't something we could predict or stop."

"Isn't it?" She asked, almost more to herself than him. "Wasn't that why we did all of that, though," She sighed, rising from the log. "Why we fought for Weyard, why we lit the Lighthouses? We knew the risks. And… what if it's our fault, Ivan? What if we didn't do enough after? I berated Isaac for leaving to watch Sol Sanctum, but what if I was wrong? I just wanted to live a normal life, was that so selfish?"

She shot out another blast of flame, but this one paled in comparison to the earlier fireballs: it nearly fizzled out when it struck the ground, but just barely managed to grasp hold of the twigs and slowly sprout. "All those sacrifices, all that pain, after all of that I just wanted things to go back to normal," She murmured, looking him directly in the eyes. "But now, Mom and Dad are dead and for all I know Felix is too. Sheba's a monster, and my only son is running around out in this Eclipse. Looking back, I wish I had done more. I wish I had taken the time, as worn and as exhausted as I was back then, to make the world a better place, to make sure nothing like this tragedy would happen. But I didn't, and I can't help but wonder: could we have stopped all this?"

Jenna didn't give Ivan a chance to respond, striding quickly off into the night, and leaving him to debate the truth in his words. Just before she left his vision, she turned back and shouted, "I train at 9 am. Meet me by that log at that time tomorrow. Good… night." Despite the dampened spirits both now had as a result of the day's events, Ivan couldn't help but chuckle. Saying goodnight had quickly grown into a joke amongst the town people, as it was always dark at this point and usually anything but good.

His thoughts quickly reverted back to the question Jenna had asked, however, particularly those involving the duties of the Warriors of Vale. Despite knowing that he had built the Soarwing and helped Isaac from time to time, he couldn't help but agree that maybe, the darkness surrounding them was a result of their negligence. And that thought filled him with a feeling more sour than even the fear brought about by the Eclipse itself.

* * *

Deep in waves of darkness, her words echoed feebly around her. Crouched inside her cell, Sheba shivered, each breath she exhaled bringing a torrent of pain. Still, she cried out.

"FELIX!" Stinging pain through every nerve, thick ooze crawling into her mouth as it opened.

"FATHER!" No one was coming to save her… why didn't she just give up. The thought rang in her head, but she couldn't accept it. It hurt too much, to believe that hope really was dead. Why? Why was this happening to her?

"JENNA!" She shouted once more with urgency, and for a brief moment felt a respite of warmth. Jenna… why was she so familiar to her, now of all times? An image of a bleeding leg and then a blast of the most damning, inescapable light forced their way into her mind.

"…She's reacting badly, should we even give her the next dose?" Came a voice from what felt like miles away.

"Is someone there? Please, help!" She called out, yet this voice was familiar as well. But unlike Jenna's, it did not instill warmth, but the deepest cold, and the thoughts of surging darkness and cold metal eclipsed anything else in her mind. She whimpered as a second voice joined in.

"Yeah, the Empyror will be really happy when we told him we held back for humanitarian reasons. Administer the damned dose," The second voice growled, and Sheba wrapped her arms around herself and gripped as tightly as she could. Gods, not more pain…

"I'm not getting paid enough for this shit, Rigzeer," The first voice sounded, and despite its cold edge some humanity shone through. "I know how necessary she is, but… look at her. Every dose nearly drives her insane. Can't we wait till the sedative hits?"

On cue, though consciously the words meant nothing to her, Sheba began to feel drowsy and numb.

"Fine, I honestly don't care. If you want to help the thing, go ahead. As far as I know, it won't make a difference," The second voice replied, clearly annoyed. "But if it does, you're taking the fall. It's not about being paid, Jonas. It's about not being on the wrong side like those poor fools below us." The sound of metal slamming filled the air, and then silence.

For a moment, the darkness receded, and Sheba peaked open her eyes. The light was dazzling and burning, but she could almost make out a person, a large splotch of red and two small dabs of blue in front of her. And then, her mid slipped from her, even as the man spoke words she wouldn't remember the next time she regained consciousness: "Sweet dreams, Sheba."

* * *

_I don't know if I'm really bad at writing suspense or just really unused to doing it. Or both. Or if this even is suspense. The next chapter might play out one of two ways, it depends on where I feel like taking it. Also worth noting is I really want to get this fic done before I go back to college, so expect it to actually update :D ._

_I had to edit this one a bit, at some points I had Jenna just rambling about the unfairness of the world and I fear that still might be the case at some points. I mean, that's definitely a focus, that she's worn down from a lot of different things, but it's not supposed to drag the pacing down._

_I also really have the urge to write some Jenna/Ivan now. As weird as it sounds, something about a secret affair during the Eclipse sounds really romantic. This might turn into a oneshot, and could go one of three ways: during/directly after TLA, between TLA and DD, resulting in the birth of Karis (I still see so much Jenna in her), or during the Eclipse. At any rate, having them have awkward flirting was fun, since one is going to sadly outlive his wife and the other's spouse spends all his time monitoring a mountain._

_And poor, poor, poor Sheba. I hope that part raised some questions, but am also nervous since I'm not sure how many of the questions it raised will get answered specifically in this fic, but as I said it's a prologue or sorts, so some threads will pick up later. No worries, though, Alight has a clear beginning and end, and the main characters will have a wrap up. Okay, I'm out, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!_


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